SHELBY"”
It will be a Wyandot County brouhaha on Saturday in
the Division III district girls basketball finals.
Upper Sandusky's Clare Abury poured in 19 points to
lead the Rams to the district finals as they beat Ashland
Crestview 54-49 while Kayla Brown scored 23 points as
Riverdale squeaked by Margaretta 56-52 to advance.
Upper Sandusky (18-5) will battle Riverdale (22-1),
ranked No. 8, at Shelby High School at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Brittany Howard tossed in 15 points and scored 12 points
from 3-point range for the Rams.
Ashland Crestview (18-5) was led by Emma McCarron who
tossed in 17 points while Alicia Metzger knocked down
13 points.
In game two, the Falcons almost let a 7-point first
half lead slip away as Margaretta (17-4) outscored Riverdale
32-29 in the second half to almost pull off the upset.
Erica Schoenberger scored 13 points for the Falcons
while going 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
Margaretta was led by Cayla Keegan with 16 points while
Brittany Nesbitt knocked down 13 and Brittany Morris
10.
UPPER SANDUSKY"” Clare Aubry scorched the
nets for 44 points while breaking the Upper Sandusky
High School girl's single-game scoring record in the
Rams' 85-41 non-conference win over Mohawk Saturday.
Aubry drained five 3-pointers, while the Rams' (14-5)
used a 45-21 first-half advantage to cruise to the victory.
Meagn Kraus contributed 10 points in the win for Upper
Sandusky.
The Warriors (6-14) got 9 points from Lori Clouse.
UPPER SANDUSKY— Upper Sandusky’s Alex Plott,
Clare Aubry and Trisha Zamora outscored Galion by themselves
Saturday, as the Rams’ crushed the winless Tigers
79-36 in a Northern Ohio League contest.
Plott finished the game with 16 points, while dropping
four 3-pointers for Upper Sandusky (12-5, 10-2), which
remains in second place in the NOL. Aubry and Zamora
knocked down 14 apiece while Megan Kraus added 12 points
for the Rams.
Natalie Stough was the lone double-digit scorer for
the Tigers (0-17, 0-12) as she tossed in 10 points.
galion (36)
Stough 2-5—10, Ensman 1-0—2, Shifley 1-0—2,
C. Gase 0-1—1, Thomas 2-0—5, Campbell 2-2—8,
Reed 1-0—2, Poerce 1-0—2, C. Gase 2-0—4.
TOTALS: .
BELLEVUE "” Upper Sandusky was dead-on from
3-point range Saturday as the Rams retained control
of second place in the Northern Ohio League standings
with a 47-36 win over Bellevue.
The Rams are 11-5 overall and 9-2 in the NOL, while
Bellevue slipped to 9-6 and 7-4. Both teams trail Shelby
(11-0 NOL) with 3 conference games remaining.
Upper Sandusky was 9-of-16 from beyond the arc as Clare
Aubry hit 5 treys on her way to a game-high 21 points.
Brittany Howard chipped in 12 points.
UPPER SANDUSKY (47)
Howard 5-0"”12, Zamora 2-2"”8,
Gottfried 0-0"”0, Plott 1-0"”3,
Kraus 1-0"”3, Aubry 8-2"”21. TOTALS:
17-42 4-6"”47.
WILLARD "” Willard missed twice in the final
14 seconds to either tie the game or win it as Upper
Sandusky survived with a 49-47 Northern Ohio League
win Tuesday night.
The Rams, who are 10-5 overall and 8-2 in the NOL, again
counted on Clare Aubry for their offense as she tossed
in 22 points.
Kelsey Perry led Willard (7-8, 5-6 NOL) with 16 points
and Rachel Fitzwater had 11.
FOSTORIA "” Upper Sandusky rolled up a 45-24
halftime lead and held Fostoria Senior in check during
the second half for a 68-51 Northern Ohio League win
over the Redmen.
Clare Aubry popped in a game-high 24 points to lead
a trio of Upper Sandusky (9-4 overall, 7-1 NOL) players
in double figures. Alex Plott netted 19 points and Brittany
Howard chipped in 10.
Aja Hall scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and
Lynnlee Myers netted 12 for the Redmen (3-9, 2-6).
BUCYRUS -- Bucyrus lost the first quarter big time.
But the Redmen won the next three to force overtime,
then made one last surge to win it and beat Upper Sandusky,
74-68 Tuesday night.
Kelsee Rehm poured in 29 points and Chelsea Hawkins
had 23 in helping Bucyrus improve to 9-2. JoBeth Roll
added 10 points for the Redmen, who outscored Upper
Sandusky in every period after falling behind 21-9 in
the first quarter.
Bucyrus converted 23 of 27 free throws. Upper Sandusky
was just 16 of 25 from the line.
Clare Aubry scored 27 points for Upper Sandusky (8-4).
Megan Kraus and Alex Plott added 13 points each and
Brittany Howard had 10.
NORWALK -- Upper Sandusky's Clair Aubry continues to
roll as she poured in 21 points to lead the Rams over
Norwalk 60-29 in a Northern Ohio League contest Saturday.
Megan Kraus contributed 15 points for the Rams, who
improved to 8-3 overall and 7-1 in the NOL.
Ashley Schaffer knocked down 11 points for the Truckers
(1-8, 1-6).
Upper sandusky (60)
Kline 2-0--4, Howard 3-0--8, Zamora 1-0--2, Gottfried
1-1--3, Plott 1-0--3, Wetherell 2-0--4, Kraus 7-0--15,
Aubru 8-4--21. TOTALS: 25-50 5-10--60.
CHESHIRE--Clair Aubry continues to stay hot as she
torched the nets for 26 points to lead Upper Sandusky
to a 57-43 non-conference victory over River Valley
Wednesday.
The Rams forced the Raiders (5-4) into 25 turnovers.
Alex Plott netted 11 points for the Rams (7-3) while
Megan Kraus chipped in 10 points.
River Valley's Amanda Butler lit it up from 3-point
range scoring all 12 of her points from the arc.
UPPER SANDUSKY -- Clare Aubry tossed in 17 points Thursday
as Upper Sandusky stayed near the top of the Northern
Ohio League standings with a 41-34 victory over Tiffin
Columbian.
The Rams (6-3, 5-1 NOL) won despite making just 14
of 50 field goals (28 percent), including an 0 for 14
performance from 3-point land.
columbian (34)
Wise 2-0--4, Heminger 0-1--1, Martin 1-1--4, Florence
4-1--9, Sheward 2-0--5, Depinet 2-0--5, Stein 2-0--4,
Miller 1-0--2. TOTALS: 14-51 3-11--34.
GALION"” Clare Aubry continues to have the
hot hand as she torched the net for 27 points as Upper
Sandusky flattened Galion 90-31 in a Northeren Ohio
League contest Tuesday.
Aubry has scored 48 points over the last two games to
help the Rams improve their record to 5-3 overall and
4-1 in the NOL.
Jenna Gottfried tossed in 12 points while Brittany Howard
netted 11 points. Alex Plott scored 10 points for the
Rams.
The Rams defense forced Galion (0-8, 0-5) into 22 turnovers
and held the Tigers to a scoreless second quarter.
BUCYRUS-- Wynford took an 11-point lead into halftime
Friday night and it proved to be enough to hold off
Upper Sandusky 62-51 in the 2006-2007 non-conference
season opener for both schools.
Jen Lilly led the Wynford attack with 19 points with
9 points coming from 3-point range. Shawna Rowland poured
in 18 .
Brittany Howard led the Rams with 14 points while Clare
Aubry scored 11.
Wynford out rebounded the Rams 29-14 and hit 17-of-51
field goals (33 percent) while Upper Sandusky was 13-of-45
(28 percent) shooting from the field.
Upper sandusky (51)
Kline 2-0--4, Howard 5-1--14, Zamora 1-2--4, Gottfried
3-0--6, Plott 2-0--6, Kraus 3-0--6, Aubry 2-7--11. TOTALS:
18-62 10-14--51.
UPPER SANDUSKy-- Upper Sandusky opened Northern Ohio
League play Saturday night with a bang as Clare Aubry
poured in 24 points as the Rams crushed Fostoria 79-35.
The Redmen offense struggled shooting only 24 percent
(14-of-58) from the field, while the Rams shot 55 percent
(30-of-54).
Brittany Howard also contributed 16 points for the Rams
(2-1 overall, 1-0 NOL).
The Redmen (0-2, 0-1) were led by Stephanie Loomis with
11 points and Sha Cousin with 10.
SHELBY -- Shelby outscored Upper Sandusky 18-10 in the
fourth quarter to force overtime and the Whippets kept
the momentum going for a 53-47 Northern Ohio League
win over the Rams Saturday.
Ali Roth led a trio of Shelby (5-1, 3-0) players in
double digits with 12 points.
Upper Sandusky's (3-2, 2-1) Clare Aubry led all scorers
with a game-high 21 points.
UPPER SANDUSKY -- Courtney Ritzler and Kim Hohman poured
in 21 points each Tuesday night as unbeaten Hopewell-Loudon
blasted Upper Sandusky 64-43 in non-league action on
the Rams' homecourt.
The Chieftains, who are 5-0, shot 50 percent from the
field (23 for 46), including a 5-for-12 effort from
3-point range.
Ritzler knocked down three 3-pointers, while twin sister
Carrie added 9 points. Courtney Ritzler, who had 4 assists,
and Nikki DeVlugt each pulled down 6 rebounds.
Just three players scored for Upper Sandusky (3-3).
Clare Aubry led the Rams with 24 points, Megan Kraus
had 10 and Brittany Howard 9.
UPPER SANDUSKY-- Clare Aubry single-handedly dismantled
Bellevue Friday night as she smoked the net with 31
points and almost outscored the entire opposing team
as the Rams won 47-34 in a Northern Ohio League contest.
The Rams drained nine 3-pointers on the night, 5 from
Aubry. Alex Plott poured in four 3-pointers for her
12 points as the Rams improved to 4-3 overall and 3-1
in the league.
Maria Strayer scored 12 points as the Redmen (3-4, 2-2
NOL) shot only 28 percent from the field on the night.
TOLEDO "” Jon Diebler and the Upper Sandusky Rams could be bloodied. Even a bit broken.
But they couldn't be beaten, and they're off to the state tournament for the second time in three years.
Diebler, Ohio's career scoring leader, suffered a broken nose with 3:46 remaining in the game Saturday night, but the 6-foot-7 senior returned wearing a facemask to help the Rams finish off a 91-81 victory over Olmsted Falls in a Division II regional championship contest at the University of Toledo's Savage Hall.
Upper Sandusky (22-3), which won the 2005 Division III state title, will face Poland Seminary (23-3) in the state semifinals Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at Value City Arena in Columbus.
The 5:15 semifinal will pit Columbus DeSales (22-2) against Dayton Dunbar (22-4). The championship game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.
"It's what everybody wanted," Rams coach Keith Diebler said. "Everybody on this team wanted to go back. Now we're back and we're not satisfied until we finish it. That's what the first group, two years ago, showed us, demonstrated to us, and I know this is what our commitment is."
Jon Diebler was taken to a hospital immediately after the game. But the broken nose, suffered on a foray to the basket, was not enough to prevent him from returning with 2:28 remaining and the Rams clinging to an 81-76 lead.
Olmsted Falls' Tyler Sparks, headed to the University of Findlay to continue his cage career, nailed a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 81-79 with 2:23 left. But Upper Sandusky put the game away as Alex Falk made four free throws down the stretch while Diebler made 3 free throws, snared 2 key rebounds, assisted on a Travis Bachtell layup and made a steal.
Diebler finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals after receiving medical attention near the Rams' basket for nearly 20 minutes, retreating to the locker room and returning wearing a No. 14 jsersey in place of his regular No. 23.
"He's the best player I've faced in 18 years of coaching," Bulldogs coach Pat Donahue said. "There's no question about that. And I will say this: He is one tough kid.
"I mean, to come back from that and get back on the floor and keep their team together, I have the uptmost respect for Jon Diebler. He's a heck of a basketball player and he's going to do a heck of a job at Ohio State."
If contending with Diebler and an Upper defensive effort that forced 30 turnovers weren't enough for Olmsted Falls, Donahue also saw four starters and one substitute foul out. And though he praised the quality of Upper Sandusky's team, he wasn't at all pleased about facing it while effectively shorthanded.
"I guess we are just the worst defensive team. We're slow on our feet and we can't do anything ...," Donahue said in a thinly veiled slap at the officiating while also noting that he'd never had more than one player foul out in any previous game.
Upper, however, didn't find the going easy either.
"They do a lot of what we do and it was going to be who did it better," Keith Diebler said. "We were lucky tonight. They're a great ballclub. They deserved to be here."
The Rams had to overcome a 49-30 whipping on the boards to come away with the victory. The margin was 27-13 at halftime.
"We were in trouble with rebounding at halftime," Diebler said. "We knew it. They had 30 turnovers. I think that balanced it out."
Bachtell scored 5 points and Kevin Brodman added 4 in a 15-4 Upper Sandusky surge that provided a 42-32 lead with 1:03 left in the first half, but Olmsted Falls rallied and took a brief 54-53 edge on Alex Sedlay's layup with 2:40 remaining in the third period.
Bachtell's second of three 3-pointers and 8 Diebler points sent the Rams on an 11-2 run and a 74-61 advantage with 5:16 left in the game, but the Bulldogs never seemed out of the contest until the end.
"I was just really excited," Falk, a sophomore, said of hearing the final buzzer sound. "We worked hard the entire game. It was a really physical game. To see that it was over with us prevailing like we should, it was a great feeling."
Falk added 24 points, including a 14-for-16 effort from the foul line, while Bachtell scored 16 points and Jarryd Nelson tossed in 11.
Dave Pellerite, who scored 19 points in the first half en route to a team-high 24 for Olmsted Falls. Sparks had 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Sedlay scored 12 points and Pat Pellerite 10.
FALK RECORDED a double-double Thursday night as Upper
Sandusky beat Van Wert 79-62 in the Division II regional
semifinals at the University of Toledo. Falk, just a
sophomore, scored 28 points and pulled down 15 rebounds
to help send the Rams to Saturday’s 7:30 p.m.
final against Olmsted Falls. Photo by Mark Deckard.
Falk has big night
By JAMIE BAKER
Staff Writer
TOLEDO "” Upper Sandusky sophomore Alex
Falk has come of age.
Falk was nearly unstoppable in the first half as Upper
Sandusky rolled to a 79-62 win over Van Wert in the
Division II regional semifinals at the University of
Toledo's Savage Hall Thursday night.
With the win, the Rams (21-3) advance to Saturday's
7:30 p.m. Division II finals against Olmsted Falls,
a 58-48 winner over Akron Kenmore.
Falk did a little bit of everything for Upper Sandusky,
scoring 28 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and recording
4 steals. Van Wert did a good job keeping Jon Diebler,
Ohio's career scoring leader, at bay during the first
quarter but they didn't have an answer for Falk.
But by doubling up on Diebler, the Cougars (21-3) were
playing right into Upper Sandusky's plans.
"We worked pretty hard all week on their full-court
pressure and figured that they would double Jon,"
Upper Sandusky coach Keith Diebler said. "We worked
on getting the corner shot and the inside look. We guessed
right. We hit the corner shots and '3s' and got Alex
one-on-one inside on transition.
"We were actually hoping they would double Jon
and we could use our quickness inside. It was effective."
Diebler also finished with a double-double, scoring
23 points with 10 rebounds and 3 assists. But the senior
standout, who's headed to Ohio State next season, scored
just 6 points in the first quarter and was blanked in
the second frame.
It didn't matter.
Falk was dominating the play in the first half. He
was 6-of-10 from the field and 8-of-8 from the line
for 20 points over the first two quarters.
He also had 11 rebounds as Upper Sandusky turned a
25-11 first quarter advantage into a near insurmountable
45-23 halftime lead.
The first half effort just typified how well Upper
Sandusky has been playing during the second half of
the regular season and during its tournament run.
"We've had a lot of guys in double figures and
we've been playing pretty good defense," Jon Diebler
said. "Alex played extremely well tonight. I think
he's showed everyone across the state how good of a
player he can be."
Van Wert's defense kept Jon Diebler from his usual
high-scoring barrage in the first half, but it also
allowed Falk to step up and bury them.
"We concentrated so hard on trying to keep the
ball out of his (Diebler's) hands and try and make some
of their other guys beat us. They certainly did,"
said Van Wert coach Dave Froehlich. "Our focus
was Diebler obviously, but he did a good job of finding
open guys and their guys did a good job of hitting the
open jump shot. We dug ourselves a hole."
Things didn't get any easier for the Cougars in the
second half.
Falk continued his streak and Diebler started to get
hot.
Diebler, who needs just two points to reach 1,000 for
the season, connected for three 3-point goals on his
way to 11 points in the third quarter. Thanks to his
3-point assault, Upper Sandusky's lead ballooned to
69-38 with 36 seconds left in the third quarter.
Van Wert closed to within 17 points of the Rams in
the final minute but that was as close as the Cougars
would get.
Some people might have been surprised with Falk's outburst.
"I said at the beginning of the year that this
would be the best offensive team I have ever coached,"
Keith Diebler said. "Lost in the chase for Jay
Burson's record is some other of our kids who have been
playing very well.
"These guys have quietly came along and gotten
better.
"All of these guys think when the ball comes their
way, they are going to make things happen. They are
confident. That's what I like most about this team."
3-Point GOALS: Upper Sandusky 10-26 (Diebler 4-8, Bachtell
3-6, Nelson 2-7, Gilliam 1-1, Falk 0-2, Beidelschies
0-1, Brodman 0-1); Van Wert 3-14 (Morrow 1-4, Strick
1-2, Leon 1-1, Myers 0-4, Kelly 0-1, Dunlap 0-1, Taylor
0-1). rebounds: Upper Sandusky 38 (Falk 15, Diebler
10); Van Wert (Morrow 11). ASSISTS: Van Wert 13 (Leon
4, Myers 3); Upper Sandusky 11 (Diebler 6). STEALS:
Upper Sandusky 10 (Falk 4, Diebler 3); Van Wert 9.
turnovers: Upper Sandusky 16, Van Wert 16.
Diebler
goes over 3,000 points in Upper win
Special to the Courier
ASHLAND "” Upper Sandusky standout Jon Diebler
entered unchartered waters in Ohio High School Athletic
Association basketball history when he became the first
player to break the 3,000-point barrier in the Rams'
99-73 win over Clyde in a Division II district semifinal
held at Ashland University Wednesday.
Now 19-3 on the season, Upper Sandusky will face Lexington
(15-8) in Saturday's district final.
Lexington used a decisive 49-27 rebounding advantage
to good use in beating Fostoria, 66-58 in the district
opener at Ashland University.
Diebler scored 16 points in the first quarter, including
two free throws at the 5:37 mark that pushed him over
the 3,000-point mark. His fast start helped the Rams
race to a with a 39-21 lead after the opening eight
minutes.
The Ohio State signee also continued to move up the
ladder in other career records, as he passed five players,
including NBA superstar Mike Bibby, for 54th on the
all-time career scoring list in the nation with 3,038
career points. His 932 points also put him sixth all-time
in OHSAA history for points scored in a single season.
"It doesn't matter," Diebler said of the
3,000 points.
"It's just something that happened and I was just
into the game. If we would have lost it surely wouldn't
have mattered. I honestly didn't even know they mentioned
it during the game. We were all just focused out there
and came out with a win over a nice Clyde team tonight."
Upper Sandusky forced 21 turnovers in the first half
alone, and put the game away by outscoring Clyde 26-16
in the third quarter.
Diebler scored 14 points in the third quarter, then
left the game with 3:27 left after scoring 43 points,
grabbing 8 rebounds and getting 6 steals. Sophomore
Alex Falk added 18 points while Travis Bachtell scored
16 and Jarryd Nelson had 14.
"I was pleased with our energy for four minutes,"
Upper Sandusky coach Keith Diebler said.
"Our other 28 minutes needed work, but all in
all I'm pretty happy. We only had nine turnovers and
that is really good for us because I think when Jon
comes out of the locker room he's got four guys on him
and it opens up our outside shooting."
Chase Munoz scored 24 points and Micah Hyde had 15
in Fostoria's loss to Lexington.
"It was just one of those things where we didn't
box out well tonight," Fostoria coach Rick Renz
said of the huge difference on the boards
"We knew coming into the game it would be physical
and the rebounding just killed us."
Munoz opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to
cut Fostoria's deficit to make it 46-42 and hit another
with 6:47 left to make it 47-45.
Lexington answered with 6 straight points, however,
to make it 53-45 with 4:56 left in the game.
Fostoria was able to pull within 59-56 with 1:16 left
on two steals and lay-ups by Hyde.
But Lexington guard Victor Whitelock was able to convert
a 3-point play with 36.6 seconds left clinch it.
MANSFIELD"”
Upper Sandusky used a balanced attack Friday in the
Division II district finals as the Rams had three players
in double figures to help rout Galion 97-56.
Upper Sandusky (18-3) will now face Clyde (12-10) at
Ashland University in the 8 p.m. district semifinal
Wednesday.
The Rams forced the Tigers into 37 turnovers while
Upper Sandusky hit an incredible 22-of-26 shots from
the free throw line.
John Diebler poured in 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds
for the Rams while Alex Falk knocked down 31 points
and recorded 8 steals and Drew McClellan added 15 points.
Galion (5-17) was led by Kyle Loudermilk's 13 points
while Kevin Murphy (11) and James Zeuch (10) rounded
out the scoring. Zeuch grabbed 9 rebounds.
UPPER SANDUSKY'S JON DIEBLER (23), shooting over Norwalk's
Clay Duncan, set the Ohio high school career scoring
record Friday. Diebler scored 44 points to break Jay
Burson's previous mark of 2,958 points. Diebler now
has 2,960 points. (Photo by Mark Deckard)
UPPER SANDUSKY "” The sea of tape recorders,
television cameras and microphones surrounding Jon Diebler
painted a picture of just how much hype was surrounding
the Upper Sandusky senior's pursuit of a piece of Ohio
High School basketball history.
Underneath the glamour and glory that comes with attempting
to become the state's career leader in scoring is the
simple, but often forgotten fact that Diebler is merely
a prep athlete trying to make the most of what precious
little time he has left as a high school standout.
He cares more about his teammates than he does about
breaking a record, although he did become the state's
all-time leading scorer on Friday night, dropping 44
points on Norwalk in the Rams' 90-64 win over the Truckers
in front of a raucous crowd of 1,800 that packed the
Rams' gym to witness history.
Yes, there will come a day, long after the cheering
has stopped, that Diebler will discover a deeper appreciation
for what he accomplished on a night in late February
of 2007.
For now, he is content with savoring the time he has
with his dad, Keith, the head coach of the Rams, and
his teammates, who have been by his side throughout
his march into the record books.
"My senior season has flown by, and I'm just trying
to enjoy what is left of it," said Diebler, who
surpassed Jay Burson for the record and now has 2,960
points in a career that has been nothing short of phenomenal.
"It's been a lot of fun playing this season and
it was great to win the league outright tonight. Right
now, our focus is on playing well in the tournament
and getting back to state."
Diebler went into this tilt needing 42 points to tie
Burson and 43 to break it. When he threw down a dunk
with 3:10 left in the game, he had 42 points and the
crowd noise began to rise.
Moments later, Diebler, an Ohio State recruit, cut into
the lane and made a layup, bringing everyone in the
gym to their feet and immediately causing a stoppage
of play.
Diebler was presented with a plaque and the game ball,
and fans from both teams cheered. Diebler then took
a seat on the bench as his teammates finished off the
Truckers to put the exclamation point on a 17-3 regular
season. The Rams wrap up NOL play with a 13-1 record.
As thrilling as the experience was for Diebler, he said
he is glad the record is out of the way.
"I'm happy the questions are done with. I don't
want to say it's annoying to answer them, but it gets
a little old answering the same questions every week,"
said Diebler, who will take his skills to Ohio State
next season the way Burson did two decades ago. "I
don't really like talking about myself. I like talking
about my team. I'm not playing one-on-five out there.
It's five-on-five. It takes a team effort to win games."
And there was no question that the Rams play team basketball.
Diebler often passed up easy shots to give his teammates
a chance to shine as well. The performance led to two
other Rams finishing in double figures. Alex Falk pumped
in 21 points and Travis Bachtell 13.
"That is what I love about this team," Rams
head coach Keith Diebler said. "Jon is a team player
and he gets everyone involved. These guys do a great
job of working together. It's the reason we have been
successful."
Still, a part of the elder Diebler couldn't help but
take great pride in being on the sideline when his son
broke a record that had been in the books for 22 years.
"It's one of those moments that you just wish you
could freeze forever," Keith Diebler said. "As
a father, I enjoyed being able to see it happen. He's
a special player and he's handled this whole thing with
such class."
For the elder Diebler to be here on such a special night
took on extra meaning because of recent events. Keith's
father has been in the hospital for the past few days
and it has changed the way he has viewed life.
"It was unexpected for him to go into the hospital,"
Diebler said. "It's made me try to slow things
down here and just enjoy each day. I wish he could have
been here to see it tonight, but hopefully he was listening
on the radio."
The irony of Diebler breaking the record is that he
didn't even go into his career thinking about it. Never
mind that he has scored 60 points or more three times
this year or that he lit up Tiffin for 77 points as
a junior. And never mind that he has climbed up the
scoring chart, passing legends such as LeBron James,
Jerry Lucas, Bob Huggins and Jimmy Jackson along the
way.
"I didn't really start thinking about it until
you guys (the media) began talking about it," Diebler
said. "It wasn't something that crossed my mind.
My only focus has been to help my team win games."
Burson was at the game Friday and is impressed with
how Diebler has handled the hype.
"He's a great player and a classy kid," said
Burson, who played for John Glenn High School in New
Concord and scored 2,958 points between 1981-1985. "Just
watching him break this record brings back a lot of
memories. It's great that he is enjoying playing high
school basketball and that he cares more about his team
than himself."
Diebler became the player that he is today partly because
older brother Jake, a sophomore basketball player at
Valparaiso, pushed his younger brother to the limit
on the hardwood. The two played together when the Rams
won the state title in 2005.
"Jake helped make me the player that I am today,"
Diebler said. "Going up against him and having
him beat up on me made me a better player. I wish he
could have been here to see it. This record is for him
and for my grandpa. The fact that they weren't here
motivated me to break this record for them tonight."
The Rams led 26-11 at the end of the opening quarter
and went into halftime with a 47-25 advantage. Diebler
scored 36 points through the first three quarters.
"I hit some big shots tonight, but my teammates
did, too," Diebler said. "I have to give them
a lot of credit. They had just as much of a part in
this win as I did. And honestly, none of this would
mean much if we weren't successful. The fact that we
are winning makes it even more special."
NORWALK (64)
K. Smith 11-18 0-0 22, Krebs 4-10 4-5 12, Duncan 4-8
0-0 10, Heckelman 4-11 2-4 10, T. Smith 2-4 0-1 4, Kurtz
1-6 0-0 3, Clark 1-4 1-1 3, Willis 0-2 0-0 0, Franks
0-2 0-0 0. TOTALS: 27-65 7-11"”64.
UPPER SANDUSKY"” The Upper Sandusky
boys basketball team had all the right ingredients
Saturday versus Mohawk to create their own recipe
for victory.
Start by squeezing 2,000 fans into a medium-size
gymnasium, add three Upper Sandusky players in
double figures, stir in a 11-0 third quarter run,
spice it up with a pinch of Jon Diebler's scoring-record
hunt, mix it all together vigorously and bake
on high for 32 minutes to make one pummel cake.
That was the recipe as the Rams whipped up the
Warriors 93-74 in a non-conference game.
Diebler didn't drop in the 84 points he needed
to break the state's scoring record but he did
pour in a game-high 41 points (12-of-24 from the
floor, 13-13 from the line) to bring himself within
43 points of the all-time state scoring record
held by Jay Burson of New Concord John Glenn in
the mid-1980s.
With about four minutes remaining in the third
period, Mohawk's Connor Jump, who finished with
25 points, drained one of his six 3-pointers to
bring the Warriors within 12 points, 54-42, of
the Rams.
Less than two minutes after Jump's trey, the
Rams (16-3) forced Mohawk into 4 turnovers and
a couple missed buckets to go on a 11-0 run and
extend their lead to 23 points.
Drew McClellan scored 7 of his 19 points during
the burst, that gave the Rams a 65-42 lead with
2:03 left in the third and sealed the deal.
"(McClellan) is averaging 15 or 16 points
a game," Upper Sandusky coach Keith Diebler
said. "When he gets those (points) it's big
for us because then people are paying for doubling
on Alex (Falk) and Jon."
The Rams' full-court defensive pressure over
the third quarter produced 11 of the Warriors'
35 turnovers and wore them down physically and
mentally.
"We didn't get to the spots we needed to
be in the third quarter when they went on the
big run," Mohawk coach Brent Konkle said.
"We got frustrated, the kids got frustrated
and turnovers definitely killed us."
Mohawk, which could earn a share of the Midland
Athletic League championship with a win over Hopewell-Loudon,
played the Northern Ohio League champs and the
state's 10th-ranked, Division II team pretty solid
until the third-quarter blitz.
Nathaniel Kurtz finished with a game-high 17
rebounds, including 10 in the first half when
the Warriors took advantage of the Rams poor rebounding
for a 20-7 advantage as the Warriors stayed within
12 points at halftime.
"We rely so much on our perimeter and getting
weak-side checkouts," Diebler said. "They
did a nice job of making sure we didn't get the
weak-side checkout."
The Rams had 19 assists led by Jared Nelson with
8 and shot a scorching 95 percent (19-of-20) from
the line while shooting 40 percent (33-of-81)
from the field.
"Everybody is stepping up and this is the
right time to step up," Diebler said.
With an outright league title in the Rams' grasp
with a win over Norwalk on Friday, and the possibility
of Diebler setting the state's scoring record
it must be difficult for the team to stay focused.
"We are excited where we're at and they
want to win a title outright," Diebler said.
"We're just not the doormats anymore. We're
there fighting for the title every year and that
keeps you focused."
McClellan also grabbed 10 rebounds for the Rams,
while Alex Falk contributed 16 points. Diebler
hauled down 11 rebounds, dished out 7 assists
and recorded 4 steals and 3 blocks.
TIFFIN "”
With Jon Diebler fighting the effects of the flu
and having a subpar game, at least for him, Upper
Sandusky's Alex Falk rose up and tossed in 35
points as the Rams clinched a share of the Northern
Ohio League with a 100-73 victory over Tiffin
Columbian.
Upper Sandusky's win pushed them to 15-3 overall
and 12-1 in the NOL. Shelby sits in second in
the NOL with a pair of league losses.
Falk, who nailed 4 of 7 3-pointers, also pulled
down 10 rebounds for Upper Sandusky.
Diebler dropped in 28 points and he now trails
Jay Burson by 84 points to become the highest
scoring player in Ohio history.
Travis Bachtell added 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting
from 3-point range for the Rams and Drew McClellan
had 14.
Aaron Hurd paced Columbian (4-14, 3-10) with
21 points and 11 rebounds, while Brady Decker
had 13 points.
UPPER SANDUSKY senior Jon Diebler goes up for
a shot in a game against Fostoria Senior earlier
this year. Diebler is 111 points shy of the Ohio
prep basketball scoring record of 2,958 points
set by John Glenn’s Jay Burson. (Photo by
Mark Deckard)
GALION"”
Jon Diebler continues on his quest to become the
all-time scoring leader in the state, dropping
40 points, hauling down 15 rebounds and dishing
out 5 assists, as the Rams crushed Galion 100-61
in a Northern Ohio League contest Saturday.
The 6-foot-7 wing has now scored 2,847 points
in his career and is 111 points shy of Ohio's
all-time scoring record of 2,958 set by Jay Burson.
Alex Falk and Drew McClellan both tossed in 16
points, while Jarryd Nelson scored 12 for the
Rams (14-3 overall, 11-1 NOL).
The Tigers (4-13, 1-11) got 24 points from Kevin
Murphy.
BELLEVUE
-- The last of D.J. Whinnery’s four 3-pointers
was the biggest one of the night as his 25-footer
at the buzzer gave Bellevue an 93-90 upset win
over Upper Sandusky in Northern Ohio League boys
basketball action Wednesday.
Whinnery’s dramatic game-winner put a damper
on another outstanding performance by Upper Sandusky’s
Jon Diebler.
The 6-foot-7 wing, who has committed to play
for Ohio State, scored 69 points in the loss.
It was the 15th highest single-game effort in
Ohio prep basketball history and gave Diebler
2,807 points in his career.
Diebler, who scored 67 points in the Rams’
108-101 win over Shelby last Friday, is now just
82 points shy of Ohio’s all-time scoring
record of 2,958, set by Jay Burson of New Concord
John Glenn (1981-85).
The loss was Upper Sandusky’s first in
NOL play (10-1) and dropped the Rams to 13-3 overall.
Upper Sandusky stills holds a one-game lead over
Shelby (12-4, 8-2) in the league race.
Diebler knocked down 11 3-pointers for the second
straight game and grabbed 10 rebounds as well.
Bellevue (12-5, 8-3) beat Upper Sandusky with
excellent overall balance. Cory Austin, who grabbed
13 rebounds, led the Redmen with 29 points and
Whinnery had 24. Dusty Lepley had 19 points and
Jeff Deblase had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Upper Sandusky did force Bellevue into 28 turnovers,
but the Redmen had a 43-24 edge on the boards.
UPPER SANDUSKY "” Upper Sandusky's
Jon Diebler inched another spot closer to the
all-time Ohio prep scoring record Friday when
the senior standout scored 67 points in the Rams'
108-101 overtime win over Shelby.
Diebler passed Geno Ford of Cambridge (2,680,
1989-93) for second place on Ohio's all-time scoring
list. Diebler's 2,738 career points now trail
only Jay Burson, who scored 2,958 points for New
Concord John Glenn between 1981 and 1985.
Diebler's 67-point effort ties him for 20th on
Ohio's list of single-game scoring efforts. He
is also seventh on that list with a 77-point burst
last season against Tiffin Columbian.
Diebler knocked down 11 of 19 3-point attempts
and 16 of 19 free throws. He also grabbed 11 rebounds
and had 3 assists as Upper Sandusky (13-2, 10-0)
opened some breathing room between itself and
second place Shelby (12-4, 8-2),
Alex Falk and Drew McClellan both had 9 points
for Upper Sandusky. Chrtis Dudics scored 35 points
and had 10 assists , Matt Sommer had 25 points
and Parker Sommer scored 19 points and grabbed
14 rebounds for Shelby, which overcame a 6-point
fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime.
WILLARD
"” Upper Sandusky's ace trumped a King
at Willard Friday night.
Upper Sandusky standout Jon Diebler tossed in
47 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to move past
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James on the Ohio
boys high school career scoring list as the Rams
topped Willard 97-91 in a Northern Ohio League
boys basketball matchup.
Diebler's 47 points moved him past James "”
dubbed King James during a stellar career at Akron
St.-Vincent-St. Mary "” and into third
place on the Ohio High School Athletic Association's
all-time list.
James finished his career with 2,646 points.
Diebler now has 2,671 and trails only Geno Ford
(2,680) and Jay Burson (2,958). Diebler should
move into the No.2 spot when the Rams host Shelby
next Friday night.
Diebler shot 14-for-28 from the floor "”
6-for-17 on 3-pointers "” and made
13 of 17 free throws on the night. The Ohio State
signee has scored 565 points this season (40.3
points per game).
Drew McClellan and Alex Falk added 18 and 17
points respectively as the Rams, 12-2 overall,
stayed alone atop the NOL standings at 9-0.
Darrien Douglas led four Willard players in double
figures with 28 points. Jordan Barnett popped
in 15 points and Kevin Diedrick and Kory Phillips
both added 12 for the Crimson Flashes (2-10, 2-7).
FOSTORIA
"” Upper Sandusky's Jon Diebler drained
21 of 23 free throws Friday night on the way to
41 points as the Rams topped Fostoria Senior 87-73
in Northern Ohio League action.
The victory also keeps the Rams unbeaten in the
NOL at 8-0 and 11-2 overall.
Alex Falk tossed in 22 points to back Diebler,
who is fourth on the all-time scoring list in
Ohio High School Athletic Association history
behind LeBron James.
Micah Hyde led six Fostoria players in double
figures with 17 points as the Redmen dropped to
7-5 and 4-4. Chase Munoz, Linjawahn Connin , Chase
Brandeberry and Wade VanHoose each scored 11 points
and Stephen Roberts 10.
UPPER SANDUSKY "” Upper Sandusky's
Drew McClellan tossed in 24 points and grabbed
8 rebounds to pave the way for the Rams' 92-48
non-conference whipping of neighboring Bucyrus
Saturday.
The Rams (9-2) built a 55-15 halftime lead before
coasting to the win in the second half.
Upper Sandusky's Jon Diebler scored 23 points
while adding 19 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 blocked
shots. Jarryd Nelson and Alex Falk chipped in
14 and 10 points, respectively, for the Rams.
Robby Schiefer was the lone Bucyrus player in
double figures as he clicked for 18 points.
UPPER SANDUSKY "” Another double-double
from Upper Sandusky's Jon Diebler meant trouble
for Tiffin Columbian as the Rams smashed the Tornadoes
91-62 in a Northern Ohio League boys basketball
game Friday night.
Diebler poured in 40 points and grabbed 17 rebounds
to go along with 8 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks.
Teammate Alex Falk popped in 18 points and Drew
McClellan added 11 as the Rams improved to 8-2
overall and 6-0 in the NOL.
Brady Decker double-doubled for Tiffin Columbian
as he tossed in 20 points with 11 rebounds.
Matt Bowen scored 10 points and Aaron Hurd added
12 for the Tornadoes (2-8, 1-5).
COLUMBUS -- Greenfield McClain's Dante Jackson
scored 43 points to lead the Tigers to a 104-75
non-conference basketball win over Upper Sandusky
in the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic at the
Schottenstein Center.
Jackson, a Xavier signee, also added 20 rebounds
and 8 assists. Jeremy Webster popped in 28 points
and Michael Howard and Garrett Taylor added 13
and 11 points, respectively, for the Tigers (11-0).
Upper Sandusky's Jon Diebler had another solid
outing scoring 32 points and grabbing 9 rebounds
with 6 assists, 5 steals and 4 blocked shots.
Alex Falk knocked down 15 points and and Drew
McClellan added 12 for the Rams (7-2).
Greenfield McClain (104)
Jackson 15-9--41, Webster 12-4--28, Howard 5-1--13,
Taylor 5-0--11, Luke 2-0--4, Case 1-0--3, Detty
1-0--2, Lionberger 1-0--2. TOTALS: 42-62 15-22--104.
TOLEDO --
Jon Diebler racked up a triple-double and Upper
Sandusky used a big fourth quarter to power past
Toledo Whitmer 103-91 in a non-conference boys
basketball game Saturday.
The Rams (6-1) led by just two points heading
into the fourth quarter before outgunning the
Panthers 37-27 in the final frame.
Diebler scored 36 points and added 13 rebounds
and 10 assists. He also chipped in 5 blocked shots
and 4 steals.
Drew McClellan also had a big game as he tossed
in 27 points. Travis Bachtell knocked down 23
points and Alex Falk netted 13 for Upper Sandusky.
David Sweeney led four Toledo Whitmer players
in double figures with 28 points. Ryne Smith netted
22 and Kevin Koger and Antwan Willis added 18
and 10 respectively for the Panthers (3-3).
UPPER
SANDUSKY-- Friday night's Northern Ohio League
game between Upper Sandusky and Bellevue not only
matched the only two unbeatens in the league.
The first-place showdown also featured Upper
Sandusky's Jon Diebler recording a triple-double
and two Bellevue players posting double-doubles
as the Rams beat Bellevue 104-83.
Diebler turned in another tremendous night by
scoring 43 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing
out 11 assists while the Rams (5-1 overall) take
over sole possession of the NOL at 4-0 and handed
the Redmen (5-1, 3-1) their first loss.
Alex Falk also turned in a huge night, tossing
in 21 points and grabbing 8 rebounds while Drew
McClellan netted 18 points.
Cory Austin and Jeff DeBlase both had big games
for Bellevue. Austin knocked down 25 points and
grabbed 10 rebounds while DeBlase tossed in 11
points and had 10 rebounds. D.J. Whinnery poured
in 23 points while draining three 3-pointers on
the night.
bellevue (83)
Austin 11-3--25, Whinnery 9-2--23, DeBlase 3-5--11,
Manlet 3-2--8, Lepley 3-0--6, Watson 2-2--6, Joseph
1-1--3, Brown 0-1--1. TOTALS: 32-75 16-25--83.
SHELBY-- Jon Diebler poured in a game-high 31
points and recorded his second straight double-double
but Shelby gave the Rams everything it could handle
Friday night before securing a 76-72 win in a
battle for first place in the Northern Ohio League.
Bellevue's 73-55 victory over Willard leaves
the Rams (4-1 overall) and Redmen atop the NOL
with 3-0 records. The Whippets (3-2 overall) fall
to 2-1.
Shelby came out strong in the first quarter,
scoring 20 points and holding the normally potent
offense of the Rams to just 10 points.
Upper Sandusky would then flip the script and
outscore the Whippets 22-10 in the second quarter
to take a 33-30 lead at the half.
Diebler added 15 rebounds, 8 blocks, 6 assists
and 5 steals while Travis Bachtell lit up the
net from 3-point land where he scored 15 of his
19 points. Alex Falk tossed in 10 points for Upper
Sandusky.
The Whippets got a huge performance from Grove
Parker as he recorded a double-double with 20
points and 10 rebounds. Matt Sommer poured in
28 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while John Shuty
netted 10 points.
BUCYRUS-- Jon Diebler started his quest Friday
night to become the state's all-time leading scorer
as he poured in 40 points to lead Upper Sandusky
over Wynford 85-75 in a non-conference season
opener for both schools.
Wynford used a strong third quarter to tie the
game but the Rams outscored the Royals 27-17 in
the fourth to pull away.
Diebler scored 12 of his 40 points from 3-point
range while Alex Falk pumped in 19 points for
the Rams.
Wynford had a balanced attack as five players
scored in double figures.
Preston Eibling led the Royals with 14 points
while John Schifley and Chad Snyder both scored
12. Kyle Shroll dumped in 11 points and Nathan
Etler 10.
UPPER
SANDUSKY -- Upper Sandusky standout Jon Diebler
poured in 44 points and grabbed 23 rebounds to
power the Rams to an 89-76 win over Fostoria Senior
in the Northern Ohio League boys basketball opener
for both ballclubs Friday night.
Diebler added 6 blocked shots with 5 assists and
3 steals as he was 15-of-39 from the field and
13-of-16 from the foul line.
Alex Falk contributed 17 points and grabbed 6
rebounds with 5 steals to back Diebler.
Micah Hyde led a trio of Redmen in double digits
with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.
Chase Brandeberry netted 15 points with 5 rebounds
and Chase Munoz chipped in 11 points with 3 rebounds
and 3 assists for Fostoria (0-2).
UPPER SANDUSKY -- Jon Diebler tossed in 60 points
Saturday night, but Upper Sandusky came up short
in a 100-98 loss to Cincinnati St. Xavier in a
non-conference game.
Diebler made 19 of 36 shots from the field, including
15 of 21 from 2-point range and went 18-for-20
from the free-throw line while recording the second-highest
single-game total of his career.
Diebler also had 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 steals
and 5 blocked shots as the Rams dropped to 2-1.
Diebler is averaging 48 points per game in Upper
Sandusky's first three outings.
Alex Falk added 21 points and 7 rebounds for the
Rams.
St. Xavier's Walt Gibler had a big game of his
own as he scored 31 points with 10 rebounds. Brad
Loesing scored 17 points, followed by Michael
Budde with 15 points and Pete Zestermann and Gregory
Scruggs with 12 each.
A complete boxscore from the game was unavailable.
UPPER SANDUSKY--
Jon Diebler was 2 steals away from a triple-double
as Diebler and Alex Falk combined for 72 points
to lead Upper Sandusky to a 116-73 thumping of
Willard in a Northern Ohio League clash Saturday
night.
Diebler filled the stat book with 39 points, 16
rebounds, 8 steals and 7 assists. Falk lit the
net up with 33 points while grabbing 10 rebounds
and going 10-12 from the charity stripe for the
Rams (3-1, 2-0).
Willard had four players in double figures with
Darrien Douglas leading the way with 18 points.
Kevin Diedrick pumped in 12 points and grabbed
8 rebounds while Jake Buss tossed in 12 points.
Matt Steinmetz added 10 points as the Crimson
Flashes (0-3, 0-2) were outrebounded 50-39 and
turned the ball over 32 times.
The Upper Sandusky High School Atheltic Department is the governing body responible for the athletic program of our schools including cheerleading squads.
It is the desire of this organization to give the student body and community as well-balanced program as finances will allow.
The departement recognizes the importance of making the athletic program an integral part of a pupil's education, whether it be as a participant or spectator. Nothing will create and hold school loyalty and pride to a greater degree than the reputation developed through successful atheltic teams known for their hard play and sportsmanship.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Upper Sandusky Schools is to provide a safe, child centered and developmentally appropriate environment where learning is a positive, exciting, and dynamic lifelong process.
